THE DESTINY CHURCH

Am I and MP Willie Jackson the only New Zealanders who don’t mock the Destiny Church? I suspect like me Willie’s an atheist but as a broadcaster he always spoke up for their excellent social work Destiny does with society’s losers, specially maori, and good on Jackson for that. Surely there’s no doubting Brian and Hannah Tamaki’s sincerity in their fundamentalist Christian beliefs. Why then does the media constantly sneer at them?

Brian Tamaki’s adoption of the title Bishop drew widespread scorn. Why? It was perfectly appropriate. He’s the head of a sizeable church.

The Bishop likes riding a Harley Davidson, this for unknown reasons also inviting media derision. Why?

A month ago a Dominion Post cartoonist, one of two struggling to make up for the departure of the great Tom Scott, published a grossly libellous cartoon asserting the Bishop’s real God was money. He repeated it again today. There’s no evidence of that and Tamaki could take them to the cleaners should he sue. I wish he would and would happily fund it.

I find all religions ridiculous and some such as Islam with its denigration of women, downright evil. But each to their own and if folk want to believe in supernaturalism, then so be it. That’s their business albeit still rich material for teasing. But the media’s treatment of Destiny has never been teasing. Rather it’s consistently been outright hatred.

A large part of the animosity seems to stem from Tamaki refusing to go along with the recent years vogue of treating blokes who like to put their cocks in other blokes’ bums as pursuing some sort of higher art form deserving of fawning admiration. It’s not. As a libertarian I don’t give a damn what they do but one thing’s indisputable and that is it aint no artistic performance. Tamaki’s objection is consistent with the bible and his fundamentalist approach.

When he asserted the Christchurch earthquake was an expression of God’s wrath at rampant homosexuality I had fun with that. But not so the media, rather it drew an outpouring of raw hatred. Why? Who knows, it may be true after all the Christian’s God has certainly got form with some fairly rotten behaviour over the past couple of thousand years.

In the words of Winston Churchill’s son Randolph after Evelyn Waugh bet him he couldn’t read the bible in a week, “God, God’s a shit”, this at 10 minute intervals. Randolph lost the bet incidentally but he certainly had God nailed.

Now the Tamakis plan another crack at forming a political party, predictably inducing widespread media sneering. Again, why?

If one accepts democracy as a good thing, then notwithstanding its flaws, surely all aspiring participants should be encouraged, failing which it sinks into a basically undemocratic closed shop, dictatorial scenario, such as exists with many purported but effectively one party dictatorships. The disruptive effect of so-called minor parties and periodic new parties is an extremely healthy thing for functioning democracies.

Hannah Tamaki is to head the new party. She says it will not be a Christian party but instead will promote traditional family values such as those pushed by the Conservative Party in 2011. What’s wrong with that, not that I’m any example?

The Party will not succeed in a crowded field for a number of practical political reasons but its existence will still be a good thing for our democracy.

It’s long overdue for the media to show the Destiny Church the respect it deserves for its energy, passion and excellent social work and cease the sustained vitriol.

I am not a Christian or a Destiny supporter but thank you for your pragmatic and honest approach to this. Will Brian Tamaki see this and your kind offer of funding? We are long overdue such a court case. The NZ need to get what they deserve, and soon!

Rubbish. He is a dangerous cult personality consumed with his own importance. His control over his sycophants is toxic. He is entirely about himself and his own power and he makes sure his lifestyle is opulent and excessive. He has schooled his followers in a common rhetoric of “they are jealous and haters” in order to explain away dissenting voices. Nothing about this is healthy. This is cult control. It is extremist and dangerous. It harnesses hatred for those who are outside of his beliefs and fosters division particularly to at risk minorities. We have seen his #crybabygays and his call for immigration cuts. His marches on Government to get funding for his programs without meeting the procurement standards, his offensive gang rape tweets and threats to cause revolt in the prison system. Why are listening to this man? He is unhinged!

This is a dangerous cult driven by a megalomaniac narcissistic dictator. His flock are schooled in replying to dissenting voices accusing them of being jealous haters. Then they get verbally abusive. His is a gospel of control and unquestioned loyalty to his agenda. He has just enough Christian speak to get people in the door. After that, they do what Brian says. Disagreement is not allowed. He has accused the Government of gang rape and threatened revolt in the prisons all because he couldn’t get his failed program into prisons. He’s like a tantrumming child. Back him at your own peril.

Hear, hear, good points. On the Gay point, I have always supported the Gay community, way before it was in vogue, because they were a persecuted minority. It shocks me, now they have become main stream, the likes of Gay Alan Joyce, CEO Qantas, is keen to persecute Israel Folau for simply quoting a legal publication stating his beliefs. They are sure not mine but he has every right to hold and profess them as he wishes. The media is full of ideologues due to the education (indoctrination) they receive at university.

At last a commentary I can be bothered reading regarding Destiny Churches Leaders Bishop Brian and Hannah Tamaki. Of course the commentator is renown for his straight to the point opinions regarding New Zealand’s issues. I like the suggestion to sue. I’ve always thought people don’t sue in New Zealand when they really should. Does the Dominion post have a code of ethics? When a fabrication of someone’s character is being force fed to the blind masses makes you wonder why? Once again goo read.

Yeah – one of our great mistakes was taking religion away from people who needed it. Along with welfare fuel, it led to the rapid expansion of the underclass. Brian is providing an institute that we do really need.

As for atheism: Religion is replacing profound mystery with superstition. Materialist-atheism is denying the existence of profound mystery altogether. Both positions are absurd…until, you can explain how a giant counting machine can experience itself, and how a universe can give birth to itself out of nothing, etc. I suggest agnosticism, Bob. The only rational position. We don’t know shit 🙂